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Thread: Funny but sad

  1. #1
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    Default Funny but sad

    I know you'll find this hard to believe, but I frequent a couple of other acoustic guitar forums. As I stated in my intro, I've been out of the loop for a little over twenty years. But, getting back INTO the loop, I'm discovering a completely different mindset than what used to prevail "back then". I think I would term it "snobbery" or almost guitar "holier-than-thou". Believe it or not, people are actually REJECTING the purchase of a guitar because it doesn't have fret markers!! They are also rejecting them because they have laminate back and sides... even though they readily admit the sound/tone is inconsequentially little-changed from real wood. Funny but sad, "back then" people bought guitars because they liked the sound. Because they had great action. Looks had a LITTLE to do with it, but not to the point of LACKING FRET MARKERS. Am I missing something? "Back then" we used to sort of look down our collective noses at names like Stella, Kay, Silvertone, Applause, because "back then" the action was horrible and the sound coming out 'em was even worse (I know.. I used to own a couple of 'em... briefly). Interestingly enough, the very same Stella, Kay, Silvertone, et al from that period seem to be highly regarded. What the heck's going on?! Has the guitar world gone mad or have I missed a paradigm shift somewhere?

  2. #2
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    Totally agree, I had a Silvertone, gave it away and enjoyed a great guitar made in Japan for 40 years till everything wore out.

    Sent from my B1-710 using Tapatalk

  3. #3
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    There is definitely some consumerist snobbery at work, I think - a sign of our times. Most of the really good guitarists that I know don't make much of their instruments - they just play them, and most of them are well worn (er, the guitars, I mean... but most of the guitarists I know, too, at this point). Then there's the 'everything old is new again' thing, mainly because guitars have been around long enough for there to be a history, creating nostalgia, rarity, etc. which always excites longing. And all hobbies/pursuits have their element of fetishism about the tools used in the trade. It's like the renaissance of hand-tools for hobbyist woodworkers. Things once relegated to the flea market junk boxes are now treasures to be polished and restored (if not actually used), and if the original can't be found, there is someone making a gorgeous/fancy hand-made version for hundreds or thousands of dollars. As for the fret markers, that may just be preference and custom. I have a Tacoma that I love, but my model was made with no markers at the 3rd and 7th fret, so I eventually added them myself - sacrilege perhaps, to a collector or aficionado of Tacoma's...
    "GAS never sleeps" - Gil Janus

    "Now you got to pay your dues. Get that axe and play the blues." - Spudman

    Gear: Epiphone Sheraton II, Epiphone Wildkat, Epiphone Emperor Joe Pass, Fender MIM Strat, Tacoma DR-14, Johnson JR-200 resonator; Fender Super Champ XD amp

  4. #4
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    Part of it certainly is too that people have different tastes. I like the black sharkies on my Jackson, but those would make many (most?) barf. Back in the 80s, classic Fender amps that are cherished now were next to worthless because no one wanted them.

    I'll freely admit that looks play a part for me. I prefer the look of a maple fretboard, black hardware, etc. Of course, if it's unplayable, it doesn't matter what it looks like.

    Sent from my XT1049 using Tapatalk
    Axen: Jackson DK2M, Fender Deluxe Nashville Telecaster, Reverend Warhawk 390, Taylor 914ce, ESP LTD Surveyor-414
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    "I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!"--Carl Brutananadilewski

  5. #5
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    Heheh you can say that again about Fenders. I played Fender amps all thru the nineties because I could never afford a real Marshall. So I played a couple of Twins and a DeVille.

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    Dee

    "When life's a biatch, be a horny dog"

    Amps: Marshall JVM 410H w/ Plexi Cap mod, Choke Mod & Negative Feedback Removal mod, 4x12", Behringer GMX110, Amplitube 3/StealthPedal

    Half a dozen custom built/bastardized guitars all with EMG's, mostly 85's, Ibanez Artwood acoustic & Yamaha SGR bass, Epiphone Prophecy SG, Vox Wah, Pitchblack tuner plus assorted pedals, rack gear etc. for home studio use.

  6. #6
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    I definitely don't get the fret marker thing. I have a very nice Amalio Burguet classical guitar that has no fret markers. Not even any side dots. That's how classical guitars are. Why you can't have a guitar without fret markers is beyond me.
    Patrick

  7. #7
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    Bless the person who doesn't need fret markers. That would be a game changer for me. I need them!

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